Softball Celebrates Senior Day With Sweep of Baruch

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team wrapped up their inaugural season at Gil Hodges Field and closed out their non-conference schedule with a 4-2 and 9-1 victory over Baruch College on Saturday. Senior Theresa Armano (Middle Village, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) moved up the record books hurling a complete-game victory in game one, seniors Stephanie Rancel (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) and Megan Finnerty (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) each knocked three hits on the day, with Rancel driving in four runs.

The Basics

• Final Scores: St. Joseph's 4, Baruch 2; St. Joseph's 9, Baruch 1 (5 inn)
• Records: SJC Brooklyn (10-18), Baruch (10-18)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. — Gil Hodges Field

Game 1: St. Joseph's 4, Baruch 2

• Back-to-back leadoff hits by Brianna Baglino (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and Jessica Vento (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) set up a one-run first with Baglino trotting home on an Amber Wainwright (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) grounder.
• A pair of doubles by the Bearcats in the second knotted the game at one-all before the Bears took the lead right back in the home half of the inning with Wainwright driving in two more runs scoring Finnerty who led off with a single and Baglino who reached on an error.
• Nicole Bellini cut the Baruch deficit in half with a two-out solo home run in the third, but that would be the last of the scoring for the visitors as Armano would throw up zeros the rest of the way.
• Rancel drove in an unearned run in the third to push the lead back to two, 4-2, and the defense stood strong behind Armano to help keep the Bearcats from reaching third and preserve the lead.  

Game 2: St. Joseph's 9, Baruch 1 (6 innings)

• SJC scored a trio of runs in the first and never trailed. Nicole Quintana (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) opened the scoring with a single and Rancel drove in the first of her three runs with a single up the middle.
• Victoria Mahoney (Allenwood, N.J./Saint John Vianney) struck out the first seven Bearcats she faced before Baruch knocked their only two hits of the game in the third and Bellini's two-out double produced their lone run.
• Still leading 3-1 after heading to the fifth, the Bears broke the game open with a five-run fifth aided by a pair of Bearcat miscues. Daniella Trani (Staten Island, N.Y./Moore Catholic) and Kelsie Whalen (Florence, N.J./Notre Dame) both picked up a RBI in the frame.
• Vento led off the sixth with a double, her second of the game, Wainwright punched a double to right and an error loaded the bases with no out and Maria Gentile (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall) drove in a run with a sac fly and Rancel closed out the game early with a grounder.

For the Bears

• Amber Wainwright led the Bears at the dish knocking five hits, driving in four runs, and scoring three times over the twinbill.
• Stephanie Rancel also drove in four RBI, and rang out three hits.
• Jessica Vento belted three doubles over a 4-for-7 afternoon, scoring twice.
• Megan Finnerty went 3-for-3 in the opener with a double and a run scored.
• Brianna Baglino hit successfully in both ends and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot.
• Theresa Armano (7 IP, 2 ER, 4 K) moves to 3rd in the Bears record book in innings pitched (308), tied for 5th in wins (23), and 6th in strikeouts (159) in the game one victory, her first complete game of the season.
• Victoria Mahoney (6 IP, 8 K, 2 H, 1 ER) surrendered a season-low two hits in her ninth complete game of the season.

Next Up for the Bears

• The Bears close out their regular season schedule with a crucial Skyline Conference doubleheader facing Yeshiva University on Sunday (Apr. 29). First pitch is set for 5 p,m. at Fordham University with live stats available on SJCBears.com.

Inside the Playoff Race

• Seeking their first Skyline postseason berth, the Bears can clinch with a sweep of Yeshiva and a pair of Farmingdale State wins over Sarah Lawrence on Sunday. Finishing tied with Sarah Lawrence at five wins and both splitting the season series, St. Joseph's would win the tiebreaker as a result of their victory over Farmingdale State last weekend (record vs. top teams in conference in descending order).